University:
Sam Houston State University
Course:
TESL 7307 | Teaching Second Language Writing.
Academic year:

2020
Views:

419

Pages:

2
Author:

StellarStrategist

The words a, an, and the are called articles. In English, readers often expect to see one of those words before a noun (person, place, or thing). Which Article to Use Definite article: the Writers use the when they are talking about a specific noun, called a definite noun. the store Here, the word the tells us that the writer is talking about a specific store. The can be used with both singular and plural nouns. the stores Indefinite articles: a, an Writers use a and an when they are talking about a noun that is not specific (an indefinite noun). Use a for nouns that begin with a consonant. a store Here, the word a tells us that the writer could be talking about any store. Use an for nouns or noun phrases that begin with a vowel or vowel sound. an apple an electronics store A and an are only used for singular nouns, not plural. a stores an apples Instead of using a or an for plural indefinite nouns, a writer would use no article at all. stores apples Here, the writer could be talking about any group of stores or apples. The Importance of Articles When a writer does not make a noun plural or give it an article, this creates a problem for the reader. Max had idea. Does the writer mean that Max had one idea or more than one? It is impossible to know. Instead, the sentence should look like one of these: Max had the idea. Max had an idea. Max had ideas. Singular Nouns that Never Need Articles Some proper nouns do not need articles at all. Huntsville, TX Sam Houston State University President Bob These nouns do not need articles because there is only one of them in the whole world. Note: Writers say The United States instead of just United States because here, the word The is not just an article. It is part of the name of the country.